Daddy’s School

We have chosen to homeschool our children. Our children call it “Daddy’s School” and my husband is their fearless teacher. Man, does he do a good job. Really good job.

The Classroom

Imagine seeing the cradle of forestry instead of just reading about it. Imagine feeling fog rolling by instead of just seeing a water cycle on a visual aid on a wall in a classroom. Imagine obtaining a National Parks Junior Ranger badge by completing several learning tasks including identification of indigenous trees of Western North Carolina…

Homeschool for our children is our way of opening up what the world has discovered and what the world has to offer. They are so eager to learn and the beauty of teaching them this way is that they are taught without frustration. They aren’t frustrated because the curriculum can easily be adjusted to accommodate how they learn as individuals.

And while Dad/ teacher ensures that they stick to the curriculum plan, he is by no means obligated to stay within the bounds of strict teaching guidelines. That means he can take the children to the zoo to see how sheep are sheared and what happens to that beautiful wool after it comes off the sheep. They can hear the sheep, feel the wool, watch the worker and smell the aroma of animals.

We don’t “teach to the test”and we aren’t looking for little parrots of information. We do want independent thinkers with valuable tools for analysis, utilization and problem-solving skills that aren’t hindered by typical process of elimination methods. The beauty of homeschooling is that our children are reading with comprehension at about 2 public school grades ahead, they are absorbing scripture through Bible study (using the actual Bible and not a children’s summary-type book), they are learning about ancient cultures like Rome, they are studying about the biology of cells, of the structural make-up of the human body, i.e. muscles, bones, veins, etc…did I mention these children are in kindergarten and first grade? They are eating this information up and are so excited to learn it! And they are capable! We aren’t forcing them to get ahead…it’s just happening because that is the pace in which they are learning.

Make no mistake, these children are learning by leaps and bounds in a most impressive fashion. Don’t take this as a defense of why we homeschool. We are so immensely proud of the progress that our children have made so far and advocate homeschooling as a viable option for instruction.

If you are contemplating homeschool for your children, go with your instinct. You know what’s best for your children. Don’t overthink what society deems as normal or appropriate for your children. Don’t be discouraged by a lack of familial support. Your father-in-law may think you’re crazy but you’ll be successful and that will be your gold star.

You have already taught your children so much. They walk and talk because of you. If you have the means to homeschool and feel this is a good match for your family- go for it. You won’t be disappointed in the results.